It is the responsibility of the state to provide a means for the inspection, regulation, and supervision of all present or future dams within the state and the operation and maintenance of those as specified in this Chapter, both federal and nonfederal but excluding the Toledo Bend Dam, and the locks and dams on the Red River, Ouachita River, Black River, Mississippi River, and tributaries under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, in order to prevent and correct potential hazards to downstream life and property in the event of failure of any dam.
La. R.S. § 38:21